DOCSLIB.ORG

A Petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Petition with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention PETITION TO: UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION Chair-Rapporteur: Mr. José Guevara (Mexico) Vice-Chair on Communications: Ms. Leigh Toomey (Australia) Vice-Chair on Follow-up: Ms. Elina Steinerte (Latvia) Mr. Seong-Phil Hong (Republic of Korea) Mr. Sètondji Roland Adjovi (Benin) HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY In the Matter of Youcef Nadarkhani, Citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran v. Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran Petition for Relief Pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolutions 1991/42, 1994/32, 1997/50, 2000/36, 2003/31, 2006/102, 6/4, 24/7, 33/30, and 44/22. Submitted by: Maran Turner François Hellot Adam Lhedmat Johann Gandilhon Freedom Now DECHERT LLP 1750 K Street NW 32 rue de Monceau, 7th Floor Paris, France 75008 Washington, DC 20006 +33 1 57 57 80 80 (tel) United States of America +33 1 57 57 80 81 (fax) + 1 (202) 223-3733 (tel) + 1 (202) 223-1006 (fax) Laurence Elkoubi [email protected] DECHERT (Luxembourg) LLP 1, Allée Scheffer, B.P. 709, Luxembourg, Luxemburg L-2017 +352 45 62 62 06 (tel) +352 45 94 65 (fax) April 17, 2020 1 QUESTIONNAIRE TO BE COMPLETED BY PERSONS ALLEGING ARBITRARY ARREST OR DETENTION I. IDENTITY 1. Family Name: Nadarkhani 2. First Name: Youcef 3. Sex: Male 4. Age at the Time of Detention: 391 5. Nationality: Iranian 6. (a) Identity document (if any): Unknown (b) Place of Issue: N/A (c) On (date): N/A (d) No.: N/A 7. Profession and/or activity (if believed to be relevant to the arrest/detention): Youcef Nadarkhani is an Iranian Christian pastor. 8. Address of usual residence: Unknown Rasht, Gilan Province, Iran II. ARREST 1. Date of arrest: May 13, 2016 (initial arrest); July 22, 2018 (arrest after conviction). 2. Place of arrest (as detailed as possible): Most recently, Pastor Nadarkhani was first arrested, along with his wife, on May 13, 2016, at his home in Rasht by Iranian Ministry of Intelligence officials. 3. Did they show a warrant or other decision by a public authority? No.2 4. Authority who issued the warrant or decision: N/A. 5. Relevant legislation applied (if known): No legislation was cited at the time of arrest. 1 Note: Born April 11, 1977. Age calculated from more recent incident that initiated his criminal trial (i.e., arrest on May 13, 2016). 2 Under normal procedures, Pastor Nadarkhani should have received a summons, which, according to reports, he did not receive on July 22, 2018. 2 III. DETENTION 1. Date of detention: Most recently, Pastor Nadarkhani’s first detention began on May 13, 2016. Following Pastor Nadarkhani’s conviction, his second detention began on July 22, 2018. 2. Duration of detention (if not known, probable duration): The first detention lasted from May 13, 2016, to July 24, 2016 (released on the condition that he raise sufficient bail). The second detention has lasted from July 22, 2018, to the date of this communication. 3. Forces holding the detainee under custody: Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 4. Places of detention (indicate any transfer and present place of detention): After his arrest, Pastor Nadarkhani was taken to Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht. On July 24, 2018, he was transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran. 5. Authorities that ordered the detention: Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Surveillance. 6. Reasons for the detention imputed by the authorities: Pastor Nadarkhani was convicted of “acting against national security” by “promoting Zionist Christianity.” 7. Relevant legislation applied (if known): Unknown. IV. DESCRIBE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ARREST AND/OR THE DETENTION AND INDICATE PRECISE REASONS WHY YOU CONSIDER THE ARREST OR DETENTION TO BE ARBITRARY A. Statement of Facts Part 1 of this Statement of Facts details the current political climate in Iran in order to illustrate the Government’s pattern of violating the substantive and procedural rights of dissidents and religious minorities. Part 2 offers background information on Pastor Nadarkhani. Part 3 describes the circumstances surrounding Pastor Nadarkhani’s arrest and continuing detention. 1. Iran’s Pattern of Political Repression and Human Rights Abuses Civil liberties are subject to particularly severe restrictions in Iran. In many respects, the Iranian Constitution purports to protect these freedoms, but caveats enable the Government to circumvent any protections that the Constitution might offer. Although Christianity is a recognized religion under the Iranian Constitution, the Iranian authorities do not recognize converts to Christianity and consider them apostates. As a result, Christian converts are not granted access to officially recognized Christian churches, which forces them, if they want to exercise their faith in fellowship with others, to gather clandestinely and meet in the privacy of their own homes for worship services – in so-called “house churches”. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of 3 human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran3 stated that Iranian intelligence services have continued to closely monitor churches and harass congregations.4 Most Christian converts who have been arrested and detained have been charged with “propaganda against the system”, “propagation of Zionist evangelical Christianity” or “administering and managing the home churches. For example, a public statement issued in February 2018 expressed concern at the prison sentences of between 10 and 15 years imposed upon Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz and two other members of his congregation for allegedly “conducting evangelism” and “illegal house church activities”.5 Christian converts and leaders, especially those who proselytize among those from Muslim backgrounds, are under heavy surveillance by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).6 The MOIS is also known to surveil targets’ family members.7 Despite President Rouhani’s promises regarding religious freedom, Iran’s human rights record has seen no substantive change since his election; by some accounts, the country’s record has gotten worse.8 Several churches have closed and their leaders arrested,9 and raids on private homes of Christians and detentions have continued.10 2. Background Information on Youcef Nadarkhani Youcef Nadarkhani is a Christian born and living in Iran. He belongs to the Protestant evangelical Church of Iran and has served as a pastor of a 400-member house church.11 Through much of his life, he has been the target of religious discrimination, for which he has been arrested, tried, and imprisoned on several occasions. He is married to Fatemeh Pasandiedeh, who has also been the target of persecution by the government because of her religion. Together, they have two sons. Human rights advocates have noted that the charges brought against Pastor Nadarkhani and others Christians in Iran are “spurious,” the sentences are “excessive,” and altogether they “amount 3 See, e.g., United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/74/188 (July 18, 2019) (hereinafter “U.N. Special Rapporteur Report 7/18/2019”), https://undocs.org/A/74/188 4 See United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Home Office, “Country policy and information note. Iran: Christians and Christian converts” (May 2019). Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805075/Iran_-_Christians- Converts_-_CPIN_-_v5.0.pdf. 5 OCHR, “Iran must ensure rights of Christian minority and fair trial for the accused– UN experts” (2 February 2018), www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22629&LangID=E. 6 CHRISTIANS IN PARLIAMENT & FREEDOM DECLARED, CHRISTIANS IN PARLIAMENT APPG AND APPG FOR INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF JOINT REPORT ON THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN IRAN 4 (Mar. 2015), https://appgfreedomofreligionorbelief.org/media/APPGs-report-on-Persecution-of-Christians-in-Iran.pdf (hereinafter “AAPG Report”), at 5. 7 AAPG Report at 5. 8 AAPG Report at 3-4. 9 AAPG Report at 6. 10 AAPG Report at 7. 11 Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, UNITED STATES COMM. ON INT’L RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, RELIGIOUS PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE, https://www.uscirf.gov/https%3A//www.uscirf.gov/youcef-nadarkhani (last visited July 22, 2019) (hereinafter “USCIRF Report”). 4 […] to a criminalisation of Christian practice.”12 Pastor Nadarkhani was first arrested in December 2006, and charged with apostasy and evangelism; he was released two weeks later.13 He was detained once again on October 13, 2009, while attempting to register his church.14 Days prior to his arrest, Pastor Nadarkhani had protested a policy that forced his children to study the Quran in school.15 His position was that the Constitution of Iran permitted parents to raise children in their own faith.16 Though initially arrested for protesting, his charges were later amended to reflect evangelizing of Muslims and apostasy (renouncing his Islamic faith).17 Even though Pastor Nadarkhani claimed that he had never been a Muslim as an adult, Iranian prosecutors used his Islamic ancestry as the reason for the charge of apostasy.18 Pastor Nadarkhani was tried on September 21-22, 2010, by the 1st Court of the Revolutionary Tribunal and, ultimately, found guilty of apostasy.19 Although he maintained that he had not observed a religion prior to turning to Christianity, he was verbally sentenced to death for the crime of apostasy.20 According to various sources, Pastor Nadarkhani was offered leniency if he renounced his religion,21
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Freedom of Assembly and Association
    JANUARY 2012 COUNTRY SUMMARY Iran In 2011 Iranian authorities refused to allow government critics to engage in peaceful demonstrations. In February, March, April, and September security forces broke up large- scale protests in several major cities. In mid-April security forces reportedly shot and killed dozens of protesters in Iran’s Arab-majority Khuzestan province. There was a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty. The government continued targeting civil society activists, especially lawyers, rights activists, students, and journalists. In July 2011 the government announced it would not cooperate with, or allow access to, the United Nations special rapporteur on Iran, appointed in March 2011 in response to the worsening rights situation. Freedom of Assembly and Association In February and March thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Tehran, the capital, and several other major cities to support pro-democracy protests in neighboring Arab countries and protest the detention of Iranian opposition leaders. The authorities’ violent response led to at least three deaths and hundreds of arrests. In response to calls by former presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for mass protests in February, security forces arbitrarily arrested dozens of political opposition members in Tehran and several other cities beginning on February 8. Several days later they placed both Mousavi and Karroubi under house arrest, where they remained at this writing. In April Iran’s parliament passed several articles of a draft bill which severely limits the independence of civil society organizations, and creates a Supreme Committee Supervising NGO Activities chaired by ministry officials and members of the security forces.
    [Show full text]
  • IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the Islamic Republic of Iran
    IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Islamic Republic of Iran is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy and political leaders vetted by the clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei’s writ dominates the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majlis. The unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviews all legislation the Majlis passes to ensure adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles; it also screens presidential and Majlis candidates for eligibility. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected president in June 2009 in a multiparty election that was generally considered neither free nor fair. There were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control. Demonstrations by opposition groups, university students, and others increased during the first few months of the year, inspired in part by events of the Arab Spring. In February hundreds of protesters throughout the country staged rallies to show solidarity with protesters in Tunisia and Egypt. The government responded harshly to protesters and critics, arresting, torturing, and prosecuting them for their dissent. As part of its crackdown, the government increased its oppression of media and the arts, arresting and imprisoning dozens of journalists, bloggers, poets, actors, filmmakers, and artists throughout the year.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
    IRAN 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia. The constitution states citizens shall enjoy human, political, economic, and other rights, “in conformity with Islamic criteria.” The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the Prophet”). According to the penal code, the application of the death penalty varies depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim. The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution also stipulates five non-Ja’afari Islamic schools shall be “accorded full respect” and official status in matters of religious education and certain personal affairs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, excluding converts from Islam, are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law.” The government continued to execute individuals on charges of “enmity against God,” including two Sunni Ahwazi Arab minority prisoners at Fajr Prison on August 4. Human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to report the disproportionately large number of executions of Sunni prisoners, particularly Kurds, Baluchis, and Arabs. Human rights groups raised concerns regarding the use of torture, beatings in custody, forced confessions, poor prison conditions, and denials of access to legal counsel.
    [Show full text]
  • En En Motion for a Resolution
    European Parliament 2019-2024 Plenary sitting B9-0439/2020 15.12.2020 MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure on Iran, in particular the case of 2012 Sakharov Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh (2020/2914(RSP)) Cornelia Ernst, Malin Björk, Nikolaj Villumsen on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group RE\P9_B(2020)0439_EN.docx PE661.573v01-00 EN United in diversityEN B9-0439/2020 European Parliament resolution on Iran, in particular the case of 2012 Sakharov Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh (2020/2914(RSP)) The European Parliament, - having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, in particular European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 on the EU strategy towards Iran after the nuclear agreement (2015/2274(INI)); – having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, - having regard to the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Iran is a party, - having regard to the UN’s Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment of 1988, - having regard to the UN’s Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’) of 2015, - having regard to the Iranian President’s Charter on Citizens’ Rights - having regard UN Security Council Resolution 2231 - having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,
    [Show full text]
  • Council Decision (Cfsp) 2015
    8.4.2015 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 92/91 DECISIONS COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2015/555 of 7 April 2015 amending Decision 2011/235/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Iran THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof, Whereas: (1) On 12 April 2011, the Council adopted Decision 2011/235/CFSP (1). (2) On the basis of a review of Decision 2011/235/CFSP, the restrictive measures therein should be renewed until 13 April 2016. (3) The Council has also concluded that the entries concerning certain persons and one entity included in the Annex to Decision 2011/235/CFSP should be updated. (4) Furthermore, there are no longer grounds for keeping two persons on the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision 2011/235/CFSP. (5) In addition, one entry concerning a person already included in the Annex to Decision 2011/235/CFSP should be deleted. (6) Decision 2011/235/CFSP should be amended accordingly, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Article 6(2) of Decision 2011/235/CFSP is replaced by the following: ‘2. This Decision shall apply until 13 April 2016. It shall be kept under constant review. It shall be renewed, or amended as appropriate, if the Council deems that its objectives have not been met.’. Article 2 The Annex to Decision 2011/235/CFSP is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.
    [Show full text]
  • USCIRF's 2021 Annual Report
    UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ANNUAL REPORT 2021 WWW.USCIRF.GOV ANNUAL REPORT OF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSIONERS Gayle Manchin Chair Tony Perkins Anurima Bhargava Vice Chairs Gary L. Bauer James W. Carr Frederick A. Davie Nadine Maenza Johnnie Moore Nury Turkel Erin D. Singshinsuk Executive Director April 2021 PROFESSIONAL STAFF Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy Roy Haskins, Director of Finance and Operations Thomas Kraemer, Director of Human Resources Danielle Ashbahian, Senior Communications Specialist Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst Jamie Staley, Senior Congressional Relations Specialist Scott Weiner, Supervisory Policy Analyst Kurt Werthmuller, Supervisory Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, Senior Policy Analyst Mingzhi Chen, Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt, Policy Analyst Gabrielle Hasenstab, Communications Specialist Niala Mohammad, Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton, Senior Policy Analyst Mohyeldin Omer, Policy Analyst Zachary Udin, Researcher Nina Ullom, Congressional Relations Specialist Madeline Vellturo, Policy Analyst U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite A714 Washington, DC 20401 (P) 202–523–3240 www.uscirf.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Overview ..................................................1 About this Report ...........................................................1 Standards for CPC, SWL, and EPC Recommendations ...................................1
    [Show full text]
  • The Good Ayatollah: the Legacy of Hossein Ali Montazeri - by Abbas Milani | Foreign
    The Good Ayatollah: The Legacy of Hossein Ali Montazeri - By Abbas Milani | Foreign ... Page 1 of 7 The Good Ayatollah Why my former cellmate's legacy will live on. BY ABBAS MILANI | MARCH/APRIL 2010 If 2010 turns out to be the beginning of the end of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/02/22/the_good_ayatollah?print=yes&hideco... 3/31/2010 The Good Ayatollah: The Legacy of Hossein Ali Montazeri - By Abbas Milani | Foreign ... Page 2 of 7 may well be because of the death of one of the regime's founders, a man I met three decades ago in Tehran's infamous Evin prison. In 1977, I was a 27-year-old rebel arrested for being "detrimental to the security of the nation." In those days nearly all critics of the shah's regime were incarcerated under this category. Evin's L-shaped brick prison blocks were packed with regime opponents, mostly Marxists, leftists, and university students. The facility was also home to a handful of the most famous future leaders of the Islamic Revolution, including future president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and future grand ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri. It was a relatively good time to be in Evin, as the shah nervously attempted to placate his most fervent enemies by following Jimmy Carter's human rights policies. Instead of being allowed only an hour of fresh air per day in a small outdoor area, we had free access to the grounds. We could play volleyball around the shaky poles and raggedy string that we had woven into a net.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cost of Faith Persecution of Christian Protestants and Converts in Iran
    IRAN The Cost of Faith Persecution of Christian Protestants and Converts in Iran www.iranhumanrights.org The Cost of Faith Persecution of Christian Protestants and Converts in Iran Copyright © International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran 2013 International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran New York Headquarters Tel: +1 347-463-9517 Fax: +1 347-463-9466 www.iranhumanrights.org The Cost of Faith Persecution of Christian Protestants and Converts in Iran www.iranhumanrights.org The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran is a non-partisan, independent human rights 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in New York that works actively in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. The Campaign’s team is comprised of lawyers, researchers, and journalists with extensive professional experience at international organizations. The mission of the Campaign is to promote human rights to ensure a culture of respect for the human dignity and rights of all and to hold Iranian state actors ABOUT US accountable to their international obligations. The Campaign documents human rights violations in Iran via first-hand and original sources within the country, and publishes statements, appeals, blog posts, multimedia productions, and comprehensive reports in both English and Persian. The Campaign advocates with national governments and intergovernmental institutions, and cooperates with a broad range of civil society organizations on strategies aimed at protecting civil society and improving human rights in Iran. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 METHODOLOGY
    [Show full text]
  • Iranian Espionage in the United States and the Anti-SAVAK Campaign (1970-1979)
    The Shah’s “Fatherly Eye” Iranian Espionage in the United States and the Anti-SAVAK Campaign (1970-1979) Eitan Meisels Undergraduate Senior Thesis Department of History Columbia University 13 April 2020 Thesis Instructor: Elisheva Carlebach Second Reader: Paul Chamberlin Meisels 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Historiography, Sources, and Methods ......................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1: Roots of the Anti-SAVAK Campaign ......................................................................... 14 Domestic Unrest in Iran ............................................................................................................ 14 What Did SAVAK Aim to Accomplish? .................................................................................. 19 Chapter 2: The First Phase of the Anti-SAVAK Campaign (1970-1974) .................................... 21 Federal Suspicions Stir ............................................................................................................. 21 Counterintelligence to Campaign ............................................................................................. 24 Chapter 3: The Anti-SAVAK Campaign Expands (1975-1976) .................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Urgent Appeal
    URGENT APPEAL URGENT APPEAL TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN August 2007 We, human rights non-governmental organisations from all over the world and members of the International Federation for Human Rights, hereby express our support for our colleagues in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and join their call to the Iranian authorities to put an end to harsh repression against women’s rights defenders, student movements, journalists and trade unionists. We also call upon the Iranian authorities to stop politically motivated executions and the application of the death penalty for sexual offences, including death by stoning. I. Repression of civil society FIDH has witnessed with deep concern the dramatic increase of the repression of civil society movements in Iran over the past year. The women’s rights movement has borne the brunt of this repression, in particular since the launch of the “One Million Signatures” Campaign, in August 2006.1 This Campaign seeks to provide education on women’s rights at the grassroots level and to obtain the repeal of discriminatory laws against women. To this end, the Campaign collects signatures that it plans to submit to the national Parliament. Currently, 40 activists are being or have been prosecuted for their involvement in the defence of women's rights; nine have received prison sentences, some with lashes. Their appeals are still pending. In addition, two activists were detained in Evin prison for their involvement in the campaign: 1. Mr. Amir Yaghoub-Ali was arrested on July 11, 2007 while collecting signatures. Our organisations expressed their fear for his physical and psychological safety.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran: the Case of Roxana Saberi
    5.8.2010 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 212 E/109 Thursday 7 May 2009 Iran: the case of Roxana Saberi P6_TA(2009)0391 European Parliament resolution of 7 May 2009 on Iran: the case of Roxana Saberi (2010/C 212 E/16) The European Parliament, — having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, in particular those concerning human rights, — having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 63/191 of 18 December 2008 on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, — having regard to the Report of the UN Secretary-General of 1 October 2008 on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, — having regard to the EU Presidency Statement of 10 April 2009 on developments in the case of Roxana Saberi and the Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU of 20 April 2009 concerning the sentence of Miss Roxana Saberi, — having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to all of which Iran is a party, — having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure, A. whereas on 18 April 2009 the Iranian Revolutionary Court pronounced an eight-year prison sentence against Roxana Saberi, an American-Iranian journalist, who worked for a number of organisations, including ABC radio, the BBC, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and NPR, for espionage, B. whereas Roxana Saberi had no access to a lawyer for five weeks and has not been given a fair and transparent trial, C.
    [Show full text]
  • En En Motion for a Resolution
    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2009 - 2014 Plenary sitting 8.10.2013 B7-0451/2013 MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure on recent cases of violence and persecution against Christians, notably in Maaloula (Syria), Peshawar (Pakistan) and the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini (Iran) (2013/2872(RSP)) Bastiaan Belder, Fiorello Provera, Claudio Morganti, Philippe de Villiers, Magdi Cristiano Allam, Mara Bizzotto, Frank Vanhecke, Lorenzo Fontana, Rolandas Paksas, Tadeusz Cymański, Jacek Włosowicz, Nikolaos Salavrakos, Juozas Imbrasas on behalf of the EFD Group RE\P7_B(2013)0451_EN.doc PE519.298v01-00 EN United in diversity EN B7-0451/2013 European Parliament resolution on recent cases of violence and persecution against Christians, notably in Maaloula (Syria), Peshawar (Pakistan) and the case of Pastor Saeed Abedini (Iran) (2013/2872(RSP)) The European Parliament , – Having regard to its resolutions of 20 May 2010 on religious freedom in Pakistan, of 20 January 2011 on the situation of Christians in the context of freedom of religion, of 27 October 2011 on the situation in Egypt and Syria, in particular of Christian communities, and of 14 June 2012 on the situation of ethnic minorities in Iran, – Having regard to the statement by the spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on case of Youcef Nadarkhani, 24 February 2012, – Having regard to the statement by EU High Representative Catherine
    [Show full text]